


Fend for Yourself

by ReneeoftheStars



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Minor Character Death, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-15 23:13:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12330747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReneeoftheStars/pseuds/ReneeoftheStars
Summary: Taken from a training mission, a group of Jedi younglings led by Kalifa struggle to survive the Trandoshan game hunters that pursue them.





	Fend for Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place some time before The Clone Wars' episode "Padawan Lost".  
> Written for tumblr blog finish-the-clone-wars' Writing Wednesday prompt: Hunted.

With a groan, Kalifa’s eyes fluttered open.

The rumbling beneath her indicated she was on some sort of ship, and a dimly-lit one at that. Thin strands of light filtered through the dusty air, catching the light against bars that –

She bolted upright and her head clanged against the bars of the cage that enclosed her. Panic rose in her throat. She gripped the rough metal and pulled, but it did not budge.

“It’s no use, Kalifa,” a voice said sadly through the gloom on her right side.

Heart racing, she peered around her, eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of light, and found a pair of yellow eyes fixed on her.

“O-Mer,” she said in relief, the panic easing slightly. “What’s going on?”

Another voice came from somewhere in front of her. “Nothing good.”

“That’s not helpful, Jinx,” O-Mer chided the Twi’lek, frowning. Turning back to Kalifa, he said, “When we walked into that cave, we got hit by some sort of energy beam. It knocked us out.”

That jogged her memory. She had been on a training mission to a forest moon with a group of other younglings. Jedi Master Woara’lek had set up subtle trails throughout the area for them to follow, to practice their observation skills and to work on using the Force to guide them. She and four others had tracked the clues to the mouth of a wide cave. She had felt a twinge of the dark side from within, but chose not to say anything, instead following the others inside. There had been a rush of noise, a crackling that made her hair stand up, then nothing.

“Who’s here?” Kalifa asked, trying to peer around at the other cages.

O-Mer gestured over his shoulder. “Dea’le came around just a bit before you. Gora is trying to mediate.” He lowered his voice. “There are others here too, but they don’t want to talk to us.”

“Where’s Master Woara’lek?”

The Cerean hesitated. “We haven’t seen her.”

Kalifa bit her lip. “Is this part of the mission?”

“No.” Jinx’s response was clipped and certain. With a sinking feeling, she knew he was right.

“She’ll find us.” This time it was Dea’le who spoke. The small Mikkian didn’t have to crouch in her cage, but stood with her hands planted firmly on her hips. “She’ll realize something’s happened when we don’t show up tonight, and she’ll come looking for us.”

“And how will she know where we are? We don’t even know.” Jinx slumped against the bars. “We could be anywhere. We don’t have a hope.”

Kalifa felt a flare of irritation, but tried to force it down, the way her instructors had taught her.

Gora spoke up, obviously distracted from her meditation. “We have to trust that they will find us.”

“And in the meantime?” Jinx demanded. “We’re not even Padawan Learners yet. How are we supposed to handle this? We have no lightsabers, no Masters, and no plan.”

Kalifa turned away from Jinx. His fears resonated with her, and she didn’t like it. Even if they were just younglings, they were better than this.

“Who do you think took us?” O-Mer asked. “Pirates? Bounty hunters?”

“Whoever they are, they’re gonna regret it,” Dea’le proclaimed.

Kalifa smiled slightly at the girl’s confidence. She was about to respond when a loud grinding sound reverberated around them, making her teeth rattle. The floor shifted beneath her and the next moment, it fell out, spilling her out into empty air.

Kalifa stifled a shriek and reached out desperately for the Force, latching onto it, willing it to help her slow her descent. The fall was shorter than she expected, and she hit the ground and rolled. Spitting sand out of her mouth, she pushed herself up.

The other Jedi had been expelled from the ship too, along with a handful of other young beings. All got to their feet warily, staring up at the massive transport hovering above them, repulsors whipping sand and sea spray around them. They had been dropped on a beach at the edge of a dense jungle, the likes of which Kalifa had never seen. Trees reached high into the clouds, twisting vines and trunks weaving between each other.

The transport was turning, angling itself so they could see the viewport of the bridge. Squinting, she was able to make out the forms of several tall, reptilian figures. Trandoshans.

The Force rippled through her, and she suddenly felt a sense of dread.

“RUN!” she screamed, turning and sprinting towards the jungle.

The others were hot on her heels, and not a moment too soon. The transport opened fire, blaster bolts raining down on them. One of the other sentients had been too slow to react. Kalifa glanced over her shoulder and saw their body falling into the sand, their lethal wounds smoking.

They ran for as long as they could, using the force to leap through the trees, putting as much distance between them and the ship as they could. Finally, they collapsed, gasping and shaking. They stared at one another, words failing them. After they had regained their breath, Kalifa led the way through the tangle of foliage, hoping to find some shelter for the night.

*           *          *

For one week, they maneuvered through the overgrowth, learning what plants were edible and what places were safe to sleep. They discovered they were stuck on an island, cut off from the rest of the planet by a raging sea. After spotting Trandoshans combing the jungle in their small, open-topped transports, they began to suspect that the reptilian bipedals were searching for them. And judging by the number of blaster rifles they sported, they intended to kill them.

“They’re not coming for us,” Jinx said one morning, once they had slipped past a pair of Trandoshans on the jungle floor.

Kalifa looked at him in confusion. “Who?”

“The Jedi. They’ve abandoned us. There’s no rescue on the way.”

Dea’le rounded on him. “Don’t talk like that,” she snapped. “The Jedi wouldn’t leave us here. Master Woara’lek wouldn’t just let us disappear.”

“How could they find us?” O-Mer shook his head. “I think Jinx is right. We need to start planning as though there is no one coming.”

“We just have to stay undetected a little longer,” Kalifa offered. “The Trandoshans will leave eventually, and then we’ll plan our escape. There’s got to be some sort of ship here we can use.”

Jinx scowled. “Well why don’t you just conjure up that ship if you’re so –”

“Shhhh.” Gora threw out her arm, focused on something down the path. “Someone’s coming.”

Immediately they fell silent. Kalifa called on the Force and jumped straight up, disappearing into the canopy. The others followed her, and together they crouched, peering through the leaves.

Two Bith raced through the trees, clutching each other as they sidestepped roots and stray vines. Behind them, two Trandoshans roared and hurried after them, jeering and hissing as they gained ground.

“They’re going to be killed,” O-Mer muttered.

Dea’le started to rise from her crouch, but Kalifa grabbed her arm and yanked her down. “What are you doing?” she hissed.

Dea’le wrenched away. “We have to help them. We can overtake the Trandoshans and –”

“We’ll die,” Jinx whispered furiously.

“We’re Jedi,” Gora intoned, jaw set. “It’s our duty to help.”

And without another word, she and the Mikkian leapt from their hiding spot.

 _No!_ Kalifa wanted to call out, but the words froze in her throat.

The two girls landed directly on the shoulders of the hunters, knocking them down and sending their blaster rifles flying. The Trandoshans gave roars of surprise and swung their fists. Dea’le was able to jump out of the way, but Gora caught the punch in her cheek. She was sent sprawling, scrambling to her feet as the larger of the two reptilians drew a smaller pistol with blinding speed. There was a sudden blast, a red spurt of light, a cry, and Gora crumpled unmoving to the ground.

The world tilted and Kalifa dug her nails into the moss of the tree. Her vision blurred and her breath caught.

Dea’le howled with anger and flew at the hunters, using the Force to push them back, then kicking them in rapid succession before bounding backwards.

“We have to help them,” Kalifa said too slowly, blinking spots from her vision as she inched towards the limb’s edge. “They…they need us –”

The Mikkian ran forward, bracing herself for another assault, but before she reached them there was another flash of red and she toppled at their feet.

Kalifa may have fallen to the ground below if Jinx and O-Mer hadn’t caught her arms and pulled her back. “We’re too late,” O-Mer murmured. “They’re gone.”

She barely heard him. The Trandoshans laughed, loading the bodies of the two younglings into their ship, gesturing in the direction of the hobbling Bith. A moment later, they were gone.

After a long while, Kalifa forced herself to breathe, and found that it hurt. O-Mer and Jinx stared at her, eyes wide and watery. She wasn’t surprised to find that she was crying too.

“Come on,” she said finally. Silently, they rose and followed her into the depths of the jungle again.


End file.
